A dog food “Wa no Kiwami/和の究み” (“Zest of Japanese”, or “Japanese top study”) sold in Japan. Small pellets, for seven years old or more. 100g x 9 packs.
My Shiba-inu is fed with several kinds of dog food routinely to avoid getting tired of, but always takes a strong interest in this. It’s a bit more expensive than others so it should be tastier (healthier, too).
“Wa no Kiwami” targets small-sized dogs and indoor dogs (with less exercises), which occupy a large portion in Japan, considering Japanese highly humid weather (separated into multiple small amount packages with oxygen scavengers). Main raw materials consists of whole wheat flour, rice bran, and chicken meal. It adjusts intestinal flora with fiber-rich domestic whole wheat, oligosaccharide, and lactobacillus sporogenes, which leads to strengthening the immune system.
It’s mid-August and 39 centigrade degree with high humidity outside in Kyoto. My Shiba is housed in an air-conditioned room, eats “Wa no Kiwami”, coaxes me my green juice and fruit smoothie with soybean yogurt, and live in idleness. A happy healthy lazy dog. What a perfect being.
Me and my mom in kimono for some family cerebral occasion.
My kimono is called “iromuji (the plain-colored)”, which is a formal or semi formal attire for woman in Japan, especially preferred at formal tea ceremony (showy kimonos are averted to bring artistic tea utensils out prominence). Mine has a (tiny) maternal family crest in white under the neck on the back and can be used as a formal wear. Though “iromuji” is plain-looking at first glance, you’ll often notice a beautiful, delicate woven pattern in close. The obi ("nagoya-obi", in this case) includes modest but multiple colors (pale orange, blue, yellow and pink) so it is relatively easy to apply to kimonos in other colors too. In addition, it has no seasonal symbols so that you can use it through three seasons (for summer and semi-summer, you need thinner, different types of obi, as well as kimonos).
My mom’s kimono type is called “tsukesage”. While "houmongi" is one of the highest ranked formal wear, "tsukesage" is more flexible to various occasions from such as watching a play and small party to wedding ceremony and formal celebration party (in that case, you often apply "fukuro-obi" intead of "nagoya-obi", more high-ranked longer obi). The face of the dull-silver "fukuro-obi" is made of Japanese paper ("washi"); silver leaf is pasted and woven onto the thick silk base. It gets less damaged than it looks for some reason even if you tie repetitively. The picture on the obi shows some shinto festival and it should be suitable for celeblation. Anyway, it's a quite rare kind of craftwork.
These days you can wear and arrange kimono as you like, but it's only limited to your daily-clothes cases. Ignoring kimono protocol at a formal occasion is to be considered definitely rude and people would be offended by that here in Japan. On the other hand, overdone attaire should look very peculier for just a casual ocasion. There are many rules by season, for materials and patterns. If you don't know much, you'd better search on the net or ask someone who knows kimono well (...not me).
The curry shelf at some grocery store. Mostly retort-pouch but many roux too. Don’t ask its necessity. It’s just something. 食料品店のカレー売場。レトルトが多いがルーもある。そんなに要らんやろとか言わずに。ただただ壮観。
It’s Obon here in Kyoto, ancestors’ homecoming (or somewhat sober Halloween?). Obon is one of the two important events for Japanese in a year (the other is new year celebration), which often leads to family reunion for the living, too.
In Kyoto, people invite their ancestors’ spirits into home in the evening of August 12 with “muka'e'bi [moo-kah-eh-bee]” (literally meaning “inviting/welcoming fire”), and send ancestors back to the next world at the night of August 16 with “Gozan Okuribi [oh-coo-ree-bee]”, (“bonfires on five mountains for sending ancestors back”), according to lunar calendar. For Obon, people clean up their family graves beforehand, and confort and offer their hospitality to ancestors such as with foods and pray with monk’s sutras at home.
To invite ancestors, we do a little ritual “muka'e'bi” at home: burn dry hemp stems in front of the house, fire three stick incenses, and set it at the family’s Buddhist altar. Ancestors’ spirits are believed to “ride on” the special smoke of the incense, come into the house, and settle at the family’s Buddhist altar in a denser or more concrete form than usual (I’m not died and don’t know how it is actually, though).
We serve “omuka'e somen”, or “welcome somen noodle (angel-hair udon, so to speak)” for the first night. While Obon, vegetables and fruits, Chinese lantern plant, water on a lotus leaf with a sprig of Koya prodocarp (“Koya maki”/高野槙), mochi and/or dango (sweet dumplings), and sugar starch snacks (“rakugan”) are also displayed. Vegetarian dishes and steamed rice are served everyday until they leave. The dishes served are kept in the fridge and taken to the temple a family belongs to with other vegetables just when Obon ends (to send the foods with ancestors’ spirits precisely, or if you eat them, it’s believed you would get ill. Dishes and vegetables served during Obon are simply for the repose of the dead).
Since the Obon customs differ by region and denomination, I totally don’t know other styles. No “Bon dance” or “summer festival” is held in my neighborhood. No making horse and ox figures with vegetables and toothpicks. I’ve seen them only on TV. The case explained above is only of a certain family in Kyoto.
By the way, what about spirits who don’t have any descendants? …It’s said no home to go and loitering here and there. So people give a little service for the benefit of suffering spirits as well as avoid going to sea or river in fear of evil spirits during Obon.
The five-colored-rope bracelet which was given at Hasedera temple in Nara for the occasion of Eleven-face Kannon (a Bodhisattva) special viewing (usually hidden). I have not known what to do with the rugged, easily slackening rope loop, showing a tie to the humongous Kannon, but recently found that Hasedera introduces with footage untying and remaking to agemaki-musubi (a decorative rope work with supernatural intention) for a talisman.
As I went into agemaki knotting, I knew it’s been used for quite a long time (since the tumultuous period—the mid-third century to the seventh century) and there two types exist: hito-gata (人型) to protect against evils and dangers, and iri-gata (入型) to invite good luck and happiness (the 人 and 入 kanji letters are according to how two sides crossing of the knot looks like. 型 means shape). Whereas hito-gata is often used for samurai’s helmets and armors (protection), iri-gata is used for bridal costume and furnishings (happiness). I also found Hasedera’s footage showed hito-gata (against evil), though shrines use iri-gata (good luck), so it turns out shrine and temple are using opposite-direction knotting—I don’t know what it means.
I just simply followed Hasedera’s iri-gata knotting (protection) since the rope should be connected to Buddha, not god (kami). Then I removed silk scarf from my Coach bag and tied the rope to the handle. …Pretty stands out unexpectedly. I could even say traditional something of Spain or Italy (something’s what?).
Anyway, the five-colored-rope bracelet is effectively utilized and now I’m protected. Great.
How to knot agemaki-musubi (hito-gata/for protection)—Hasedera’s footage
http://www.hasedera.or.jp/sp/promotion/1/blog_detail.html?key=entry&value=254
How to knot agemaki-musubi (iri-gata/for good luck) and actual use at shrine—by a Shinto priest with pictures
http://blog.tennjinn.net/-how%20to-縄・紐の結び方/あげまき結びの結び方
Hasedera Temple (of Nara prefecture, Japan Visitor)
http://www.japanvisitor.com/japan-temples-shrines/hasedera-nara
Picturesque manholes in Shimane prefecture, West Japan.
Jumping sea bream found near Miho shrine, which is the grand head shrine of Ebisu shrines belonging to Kotoshironishi (a god for fishery and business prosperity). Sea bream is a symbol of wealth that Ebisu is always holding in his arm.
Miho shrine
(Japan National Tourism Organization)
https://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/spot/shritemp/mihoshrine.html
Lighthouse found by Izumo Taisha, which is known for matchmaking as well as one of the top-ranking grand shrines. The lighthouse is called Hinomisaki Lighthouse near the shrine, selected as one of “the IALA list of 100 lighthouses as historic and architectural monuments”.
Biwa Fall near Oboke Canyon, Tokushima prefecture (Shikoku island)
Named after a legend that Heike fugitives played the biwa, an old mandarin-shaped guitar from China, to comfort each other in front of the fall. There are many sayings about loser refugees of Heike clan in Shikoku, which founds none in Kyoto, the then capital city in Heian period.
Biwa (Chinese lute)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipa
I have seen it only at Nara National Museum’s Annual Shoso-in Treasure Repository Exhibition. I sometimes find them in old tales but I wonder there still exists any player.
The Tale of the Heike
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tale_of_the_Heike
There were monk bards for telling/singing the story as playing the biwa in old time. All Japanese are forced to memorize the head part in classical literature class at high school.
Picked eggplants and mini tomatoes at backyard, so made a hiyamugi noodle with it.
Microwave chopped egg plants covered with plastic wrap, then cool and squeeze water. Chop mini tomatoes. Mix them with shredded myoga, grated ginger, mentsuyu (soy-sauce-based ready-made dipping sauce for Japanese noodles), and sesame oil. I recommend to make a little bit stronger with concentrated mentsuyu and water (I had only straight one so adjusted stronger with usukuchi soy sauce, shirodashi, and mirin).
Put noodles into boiling water. Recently, I just happened to know it doesn’t boil over if you cross long chopsticks on the pan. Boil for five minutes, cool and wash with cold water, and strain well.
Put noodles in a glass bowl and add the seasoned egg plants and mini tomatoes with sauce.
Somen or Hiyamugi
http://www.mitoku.com/products/pasta/someofhiyamugi.html
The noodle diameter is somen < hiyamugi << udon. Somen and hiyamugi are mainly for summer.
Mentsuyu recipe
http://www.japanesecooking101.com/men-tsuyu-recipe/
In case if you live where you cannot obtain mentsuyu at supermarket.
Myoga (flower buds of a certain kind of ginger)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myoga
Summer herb, or fresh condiment. It’s often used as topping for tofu, miso soup, and many other dishes. It might taste peculiar for the first time, but it’s essential for Japanese summer cuisine. Though I hated when I was little, now it’s my favorite.
Oboke Canyon, Tokushima prefecture (Shikoku island). It is right on Japan Median Tectonic Line (an active fault), which crosses from Kyushu to Kanto area through Shikoku.
Japan Median Tectonic Line
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Median_Tectonic_Line
Lunch at “Nishiki Agaru” near Nishiki Market, Kyoto. Nicely arranged tiny colorful cups called “nozoki” are so cute, which I never use at home (…too many to wash, you know).
The restaurant was a renovated Machiya, traditional merchant’s house, and had a beautiful small inner garden deep-inside with fresh green of Japanese maple, which we enjoyed just next to our seats. It was good to make a reservation earlier.
Kyomachiya Nishiki Agaru (Japanese)
https://www.google.co.jp/amp/s/s.tabelog.com/kyoto/A2601/A260201/26025527/top_amp/
You can also bring foods you bought at Nishiki Market in (They will serve them on dish). Better to make reservations especially for weekend lunch.
Machiya
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machiya
Kyoto’s Machiya is especially called “Kyomachiya”.
Yasaka shrine’s chimaki, a charm for warding off evil (made of only rice reeds and no rice cake inside unlike sweets sold in May). It’s deadly awful, hot and wet July and the arrival of Gion Festival in Kyoto.
Few days ago after celebrating my mom’s birthday at some ryotei (authentic Japanese restaurant) around Higashiyama, I dropped in Yasaka shrine for receiving this year’s new chimaki (you use the word “receive (from god)” instead of “buy” in Japanese for charms and amulets of shrine). Yasaka shrine’s chimaki is sold during the entire month of July and relatively easy to obtain compared to Yama and Hoko floats’, though every float, built and exhibited on the street, starts selling its original chimaki only a few days before the parade day and sells out quickly.
Chimaki will be hanged out at the porch or the gate. The protection lasts for a year and you will take it back to any shrine after a year: since it’s a holy item Shinto priests burn old charms with praying. Appreciate for the protection of the past one year, and wish for another one-year mercy.
Chimaki of Gion Festival
https://www2.city.kyoto.lg.jp/koho/eng/preview/40.html
Strip color and letters differ by float. Yasaka shrine’s is to ward off evil but every chimaki’s mercy differs by float, such as for romantic love, study, and money profit.
Folklore on Somin Shorai
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somin_Shorai
The red strip on Yasaka shrine’s chimaki reads “A Somin Shorai’s descendant”.
Gion Festival
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gion_Matsuri
Lunch at Nishiki Ichiha in Nishiki Market, Kyoto: matcha soba with mountain vegetable, bamboo shoot and grated mountain potato, and soft-served matcha ice cream on three kinds of Japanese tea flavored caramel popcorn (matcha, houji-cha, and genmai-cha). The two small wooden cylinders aside are spices: shichimi (七味: Japanese seven spices) and sansho (山椒: japanese pepper)
I found mild konbu-majored dashi for the soba, which is often used for noodles with mountain vegetables (could be different in Kanto region). The soft-served ice cream with caramel popcorns was part of lunch set and smaller size, yet a bit too much for me after having soba. You can buy those caramel popcorns either outside the restaurant or on Kyoto Daimaru department store’s underground floor. Especially the genmai-cha flavored has a real refreshing roasting aroma of genmai (brown rice) and ryoku-cha. I personally recommend gennai-cha flavor the best (and I have never seen the flavor at any other shops).
Nishiki Ichiha’s menu with pics
https://nishiki-ichiha.com/menu.html
Nishiki Market
A street lined with around 130 shops selling food. You can take a stand-up meal at some shops.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishiki_Market
A members-only resort hotel room, not a ryokan’s, at Arima Hot Springs in Japan (“Arima Rikyu”). The tatami mats are black and in Ryukyu-style. That looks extraordinary and cool to have once in a while. A modern simple japanese room.
Arima Hot Springs Tourism Association’s website
http://visit.arima-onsen.com
Arima is one of the three greatest hot springs in Japan as well as pretty familiar for people in Kansai region. Only 30 minutes away from Kobe.
Japanese tea room Chikusei by Tsubakido, at Fushimi, Kyoto. A purveyor to Fushimi Inari Taisha (shrine). Tea, sweets, the interior design, everything’s great. Surely wanna visit again.
Tsubaki-do 椿堂
http://www.tsubakido.kyoto
Only in Japanese, but has a nice tea company film. Tranquil and worth to watch. “Tsubaki” means camellia FYI.